The draft law “Land Crime Prevention and Remedy Act, 2023” will be presented to parliament in April, Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury has said.
"The Ministry of Land is working to use technology, modern laws, and their implementation to ensure land services. Speakers believe that if the land law is implemented, the land-related problems will be reduced,” he said at a program “Recent Initiatives in Land Management and Citizen Rights” organized by the Citizen Platform for SDGs Implementation, Bangladesh on Thursday.
Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury was the chief guest at the event. It was also presided over by Debapriya Bhattacharya, convener of Citizen Platform for SDGs Implementation, Bangladesh.
Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury said it will not be possible to solve all the land-related problems together. “There are many complications because people's needs are increasing. Land prices are rising, and hence crime is increasing as well. Digitization activities will reduce crime if the existing law is amended.”
“There is an order from the prime minister that the agricultural land should not be used for public infrastructural development. The letter from the Prime Minister's office said that there should be no compromise in the case of Triple cropping lands. However, special consideration will be given in the case of only mechanized farming.
Dr Iftekharuzzaman, core group member of Citizen's Platform and executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) said land management is crucial in ensuring good governance and eliminating corruption.
“Digitization program in land management is a big initiative to fulfill the dream of building Smart Bangladesh. People are not getting the benefits even though the land-related works are digital, which we have seen. More than half of the sub-registry offices are not adequately equipped to provide digital land services. Due to this many people from different regions are being deprived of this service.”
Land Secretary Mustafizur Rahman said: "We don't have the magic to change the people in the back overnight. "We hope the problem will be solved quickly if digital land management maps and records are made. The digital maps are designed to include comprehensive information on the land's boundaries, size, and historical changes. Additionally, the maps will display any houses located on the land.”
Noresh Chandra Uraon as an ethnic minority community representative mentioned that their land is being encroached upon even though they are named in Khatian. He also demanded proper management in the implementation of Article 97.
To conclude, Dr Debapriya thanked everyone and said that this dialogue was mainly organized to make the plights of the grassroots people struggling with land issues visible.